The Tiny Seed

Title: The Tiny Seed
Author: Eric Carle
Major Themes: Plants, Flowers, Seasons, Life Cycle
Synopsis: After a tiny seed blows in the wind across land and sea, it settles to land and, after sleeping for the winter, grows in the spring.

A tiny seed blows in the wind, along with many other seeds. As they travel, one gets burned up by the sun, another freezes on a mountain top. They finally come to land, and sleep through the winter. In the spring they start to grow, but one is shaded out by a weed and another is picked by a child as soon as it starts to bloom. What about the tiny seed? What happens to it?

The Tiny Seed is a delightful introduction to the life cycle of plants, as well as to the seasons. It is slightly inaccurate, however. There is one page on which my 6-year-old says, “Hah!”, as the tiny seed turns into a flower taller than the house! The lovely illustrations make the book a keeper, though.

No warnings!